"I have to admit, when I was leaving Guthrie on Monday, all I could think about is that I didn't want to drive all that way by myself, I didn't want to spend a week by myself, and I couldn't possibly imagine that I was going to learn anything at this course.  I thought I would just walk through, learn nothing new, and get my certification" says Brian Orndorff, State AAU Director and Coach of both Team Oklahoma AAU Wrestling and the Bluejay Pride Wrestling Program, about leaving for Ames, Iowa to attend the National Coaches Education Program's Silver Coaches College.  Orndorff attended the 5 day course at Iowa State University, where he received classroom instruction from USA Wrestling National Staff, and received live technical instruction one on one on the wrestling mat from wrestling greats including:

*  Brad Penrith - UNI Head Coach, All-American, National Champion

*  Mark Schwab - 3X Junior National Champion, Greco-Roman National Champion, Minnesota Storm Assistant Coach, Buena Vista College Head Coach

*  Ike Anderson - Greco Roman 3 X National Champion, 4 X runner-up, and 3 X World Placer

*  Terry Brands - Olympic Bronze Medallist, 5X World Team Champion, 3X National Freestyle Champion, 2X NCAA Champion, 3X All-American

*  Kevin Jackson - US Freestyle Coach, Olympic Gold Medallist, All-American

*  Steve Fraser - US World Team Greco-Roman Coach, 1X Freestyle National Champion, 2X Greco Roman National Champion, and the first ever American Greco Roman Olympic Champion

*  Teague Moore - NCAA Champion

*  Dan Chandler - Head Coach Minnesota Storm

*  Bobby Douglas - Head Coach Iowa State, Former US Freestyle & Olympic Team Head Coach, 5X National Champion, 5X Olympic Trial Champion, Multiple Olympic & World Placer

"It was not only amazing to be surrounded by such greatness, but to see that these men, especially Coach Douglas at his age, could still kick tail on the mat.  He (Douglas) is as strong as an ox," Orndorff stated.

The trip ended with floor passes to the World Team Trials.  "I was so motivated by the classes and technique sessions, then the Trials just exploded that energy.  It was the perfect ending to an extremely intense week."  The classes and technique sessions that Orndorff refers to were non-stop from 6:45 in the morning to 7:30 in the evening from Tuesday to Friday.

Orndorff also stated, "This was the most exciting and amazing week of my wrestling life.  I learned from the greatest wrestlers and coaches in the world, and got to rub elbows and talk wrestling at the tournament with the greatest wrestlers in the world like Dan Gable (2X NCAA champ, Olympic Gold Medallist), Cael Sanderson (undefeated in college career, 4X NCAA Champ, Olympic Gold Medallist), Pat Smith (4X NCAA Champion), and John Smith (2X Olympic Champion, 6X World Champion, 2X World Runner-up, 4X World Bronze medallist).  It was phenomenal!"

Orndorff has chosen to further his coaching education for several reasons.  He intends to push coaches education here in Oklahoma, to create teams to travel outside the U.S., and to ultimately reach the Gold Level in the National Coaches Education Program.  "I plan to write or re-write a couple of the classes, and will hopefully be offered the opportunity to teach them at future silver colleges," Orndorff stated.